It's time to Christmas carol it out in Staten Island's Richmond Town. Historic Richmond Town Staff

Sometimes, the problem with being a historian is that history can be, well, downright dull. Certainly anyone who’s been forced to memorize the names and dates of battles, third-rate former presidents or arcane political feuds will sympathize. When I find my eyes growing weary from poring over barely legible old documents, I know there’s only one answer: a road trip!

I know that “living history” as manifested in places like Colonial Williamsburg can seem cheesy. I’ve certainly seen enough frontier women in bonnets churning butter to last a lifetime. But these age-old structures and sketch-style reenactments can also be the best ways to truly understand how our American ancestors lived in a world without any of owellur modern conveniences.

Powder falls softly on Old Bedford Village.Handout

New York City has a number of destinations within easy driving distance where historic sites come alive through the efforts of costumed interpreters, skilled artisans, and humorous, knowledgeable guides.

What’s more, the holidays are an ideal time not just to immerse yourself in a little history, but also to journey into the past to explore how Christmas and other winter festivals would have been enjoyed by Americans before us, from the Dutch era onward.

If you’d like to keep your explorations within the five boroughs, head out to Historic Richmond Town on Staten Island, the former county seat. Since the 1930s, the Staten Island Historical Society has been preserving structures in the neighborhood now called Richmondtown (one word!), as well as relocating homes from elsewhere across the island that were in danger of demolition.

While visitors can stroll the grounds on their own, it’s worth taking one of the guided tours ($8 per person; free on Fridays), which showcase different houses each day, from the 1695 Dutch school house to a fantastic old general store. And on Saturday, Dec. 10, from 5 to 8:30 p.m., experience an in-depth candlelit tour ($24) of the town that traces the history of Christmas celebrations from the colonial era onward.

Make it rein in Richmond Town. Alex Roldan

Historic Richmond Town is located at 441 Clarke Ave. on Staten Island; those coming by public transit can take the S74 bus from the Staten Island Ferry terminal.

Also close to home is Nassau County’s Old Bethpage Village Restoration. The town’s 36 buildings, which were built over the course of a century from 1765 to 1865, were moved to Bethpage from around Long Island to preserve them and are now a living history museum.

From Dec. 15-18 (5 to 9 p.m.), the village offers “Candle Light Evenings,” where costumed interpreters share how the holiday season was celebrated in the 19th century, including traditional music, a craft fair and more.

For those who don’t mind venturing farther afield, how about a drive to up the Hudson to New Paltz? An easy hour-and-a-half trip from the city lies Historic Huguenot Street, a fascinating collection of homes that date back to the area’s original settlement by French Protestant refugees in the late 17th century.

Tours (offered on weekends only) are led by docents with a keen sense of how to bring history alive; they trace the evolution of the street from the colonial era to the Gilded Age. Our past is often whitewashed, so it’s refreshing that guides here take the time to tell the stories of enslaved Africans who lived and worked on these properties, too.

Class is in session in Old Bedford Village.Handout

While those who want to explore on their own can download the free walking tour app from the Historic Huguenot Street website, I’d highly recommend the informative guided tour, which is also your only way to get inside these well-preserved structures. Advance reservations on the website are encouraged.

It can be hard to imagine, but in the 1700s, America’s frontier wasn’t very far from the east coast — in fact, it wasn’t even as far west as Pittsburgh. Today, in just over four hours from Manhattan, you can reach Bedford, Pennsylvania, and Old Bedford Village — one of the best living history villages in the general orbit of New York City. Not only are the houses, shops, and workshops in the village almost all authentic structures — many saved from demolition by being moved to the site — they are staffed by costumed interpreters and artisans who preserve authentic early American skills, such as pottery-making and smithing.

Festive Richmond Town.Alex Roldan

The village is closed in cold weather except for special holiday events. On Dec. 10, Old Bedford offers “Candlelit Christmas,” which is both a chance to visit this supremely picturesque spot in winter, as well as to learn how Christmas would have been celebrated by the country’s pioneers in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Old Bedford Village is located at 220 Sawblade Road in Bedford, Penn.

Having driven all the way out to the “wilds” of Pennsylvania, you’ll want to stay the night. Keep the historic spirit going by booking a room at The Golden Eagle Inn, which is housed in a 1794 mansion. Rooms start at $105 a night.